This dish is gorgeous to look at but its texture is the real star—crispy salmon skin, crunchy salad, and melt-in-your mouth salmon meat are an ideal trifecta. Bust out the best olive oil you can get your hands on for dressing the salad.

Yield: 4 servings

Cut off fennel fronds and reserve. Cut fennel in half and remove core. Using a mandolin, shave fennel and radishes paper thin, and add to a bowl. Add chervil, chives, orange juice, reserved fennel fronds, and 2 tablespoons oil. Season with salt and pepper. Toss gently until well mixed. Cover and refrigerate until serving.

Grind fennel seeds in a coffee grinder until fine. Score salmon skin evenly and season both sides with salt, pepper, and ground fennel seed.

Heat a nonstick sauté pan on medium-high. When pan is hot, add oil. Place salmon into pan, skin-side down. Cook about 3 minutes and turn over. Cook an additional minute and, using a fish spatula, remove from pan.  Serve immediately with salad.